Sheriff won’t release tapes from Mel Gibson’s arrest

Published 9:00 pm Wednesday, August 9, 2006

LOS ANGELES – Audio and video tapes of Mel Gibson’s drunken driving arrest are exempt from the California Public Records Act and won’t be released, authorities said.

The celebrity news Web site TMZ had asked Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca for tapes of the incident in which Gibson uttered obscenities and anti-Semitic comments. TMZ argued the tapes should be seen and heard by the public to assess whether Gibson received preferential treatment from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

“The records you have requested are records of the investigation and part of the investigatory file in this matter,” replied Gary Gross, principal deputy for the county counsel’s office. That means they must remain sealed, Gross said.

Gibson was arrested early July 28 after he was stopped for driving 87 mph in a 45-mph zone. He was released on his own recognizance later that day.

The 50-year-old actor and director is scheduled to be arraigned Sept. 28.